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The New Orleans Saints agreed to terms on a contract with free agent fullback Michael Burton on Friday, per Nick Underhill of NewOrleans.Football. Burton spent last offseason and training camp with the Saints before joining the Washington Redskins midway through the 2019 season. He played 68 snaps on offense in D.C. but spent the bulk of his time on special teams, logging 177 appearances in 10 games.
Burton rose to prominence with the Chicago Bears before joining the Saints, and would have likely continued to grow into a household name if his career started a decade earlier. But the game’s shift away from traditional fullbacks and the run-first attack has made athletes like Burton an endangered species.
That could change in New Orleans. The Saints lost starting fullback Zach Line to retirement earlier this offseason; before his late-season injury in 2019, he was one of the NFL’s most frequently-played fullbacks, trailing only Minnesota Vikings starter C.J. Ham and San Francisco 49ers cornerstone Kyle Jusczyk in snaps played per game.
Saints coach Sean Payton values the positional versatility that fullbacks can present thanks to their skills set as blockers, runners, and occasional receivers. If Burton’s body holds up (he’s had some injury issues in the past), he could turn into a featured piece of the Saints offense in 2020, joining fan-favorites like Line, Jed Collins, and John Kuhn in their collective memory. He won’t lack for opportunities.
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